William mather and dayid picken smith



Y (No Model.)

W. MATHER 8v 'D. P. SMITH. STENTERING MACHINE REGULATOR.

No. 586,051. Patented July 6,1897.

172% for:

r Ens co. vnoYmumq. WASHINGTGN a c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM MATIIER AND DAVID PIOKEN SMITH, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

STENTERlNG-MACHINE REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,051, dated July 6, 1897. Application filed February 1, 1896- Serial No. 577,740. (No model.) Patented in England November 22, 1898, No. 22,899-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM MATIIER and DAVID PIcKnN SMITH, engineers, of Salford Iron Works, Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stentering- Machines, (for which we have obtained a patent in Great Britain. dated November 22, 1893, No. 22,399,) of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to machines for stentering or transversely stretching fabrics by the forward travel of two diverging chains, clips on which hold the selvages of the fabric; and our object is to facilitate the adjust ment of the relative travel of the two chains, so as to keep the weft always at right angles, or nearly so, to the warp. For this purpose the chain on one side of the machine, instead of being positively driven like the other chain is driven by differential gear in such a manner that it can readily be accelerated or re tarded, as may be required, when the weft is somewhat oblique. V In order to effect the acceleration or retardation, we employ apparatus such as we shall describe, referring to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a part plan of a stenteringmachine, showing apparatus according to our invention at one end of the machine at A. Fig. 2 is a vertical section 5 and Fig. 3 is a plan, to an enlarged scale, with cover removed, of the apparatus at A.

The horizontal sprocket-wheel B, which drives the chain 0, carrying the stenteringhooks H, is loose on the vertical revolving spindle D. On the boss of the sprocket-wheel B is fixed a bevel-wheel E, which is geared through an intermediate bevel-pinion F with an inverted bevel-wheel G above it, which is fast on the vertical spindle D. The intermediate pinion F is mounted on a stud proj ecting inwardly from a ring K, which is free to turn within a casing supported by columns L from the fixed framing M and which externally is obliquely toothed to engage with a worm N on a horizontal spindle O. This spindle extends some distance along the side of the machine and is provided with a handwheel or with several hand-wheels Q within convenient reach of the attendant. When he sees that the weft of the traveling fabric is oblique, he turns the spindle O in the one direction or the other, thereby causing the worm-ring K and the pinion F to rotate in the one direction or the other. The pinion is thus made to communicate from the driving bevel-wheel G above it a quicker or slower motion to the bevel-wheel E below it, which drives the sprocket-wheel B, the chain 0 driven by this sprocket-wheelbeing thus accelerated or retarded, while the chain on the other side of the machine continues to travel at constant speed.

Having thus described the nature of this invention and the best means we know of carrying the same into practical effect, We claim- The combination of the vertical rotary spindle D, the horizontal sprocket-wheel B loosely journaled on the spindle and carrying the clip-chain O, the beveled gear-wheel E fixed on the boss of the sprocket-wheel, the rotatable ring K provided with an inwardly-projecting stud, a beveled wheel]? journaled on said stud and gearing with the wheel E, a

beveled wheel G fixed on the spindle D and gearing with the wheel F, a spindle 0 provided with a plurality of hand-wheels, and a worm Vfixed on said spindle and gearing with oblique teeth carried by the ring K, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 20th day of January, A. D. 1896.

WILLIAM MATI-IER. DAVID PIOKEN SMITH.

Vitnesses:

JOHN PLATT, I WM. S. HOLLINWORTH. 

